Cemeteries & Graveyards

I admit it.  I am fascinated by cemeteries and graveyards.  Each headstone represents a person who has left a mark on this world.  Some have remained in our collective memories, others have not. 




Both the photo above (from Cabot Plains Cemetery) and the the one below (from Old First Church Cemetery) depict the headstones of Revolutionary War soldiers. 







Where we live, such old cemeteries and graveyards are uncommon.  Prior to the industrial revolution, ours was largely and agrarian society.  Since land was in abundance, families often had their own private cemeteries within the family property.  We have hundreds of small, private cemeteries.  Many of the older graves (18th century and older) are long forgotten, as the markers have disintegrated or were never placed.  Wooden markers were quite common.  Visiting these old New England cemeteries is a great way to learn about the individual people who once lived in the area.

Thankful Thursday - Vermont Churches

I am so thankful that we each have the liberty to worship (or not) as we choose. What a privilege it is to be able to serve our Lord freely, without fear of retribution.

The Old First Church in Bennington is recognized as the first Protestant congretation in Vermont. 

The Old Round Church in Richmond was built to allow five different Protestant denominations to utilize the same worship space. 


This is the Northam Church in Shrewsbury. 

Naulakha

Until planning for this trip, I had not realized that Rudyard Kipling had once lived in Vermont. His home in Dummerston, known as Naulakha, stands on a hillside a bit off the main roads.  It was a lovely drive. 


Back when I was a child, my grandmother introduced me to Best Loved Poems of the American People.  I used to sit for hours and read that book.  Today, it still sits on my bookshelf.  One of my favorite poems is "If-", and I believe the message is relevant today. 

Princess E is currently reading "Kim", which was not a homeschool assignment, but rather a selection she made on her own.  We drove by his home so she could see tangible evidence that Rudyard Kipling was a real person.

Norman Rockwell

There is a Norman Rockwell Museum in Rutland, Vermont. He spent a few of his many years living in Vermont and they have built a museum to house some of his works. We spent a couple of hours there. I remember seeing Norman Rockwell advertisements and illustrations often when I was growing up. Today, I still have several items, including a Hallmark Christmas ornament, depicting illustrations by Mr. Rockwell.

Robert Frost

One of my favorite poets is Robert Frost.    While we were in Vermont, we took the time to visit his grave and pay our respects.



Not far from the cemetery where he is buried is the house he lived in for part of his life.




As we traveled through the backwoods of Vermont, I understood. 

(The photo below was taken by me and has not been modified in any way.  It really was that beautiful!)

THE ROAD NOT TAKEN

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

Robert Frost

Vermont Landscapes

Barns & Buildings

A few random images of barns and buildings we passed in Vermont.

Vermont Teddy Bear Factory

Is any trip to Vermont complete without a tour of the Vermont Teddy Bear Factory?  I think not...especially if you have little ones. 

We watched how they make their bears, including these that were custom made.


All their bears come with a lifetime guarantee.  That means, when your bear gets sick, it can come back to the bear hospital for first class treatment.  They will even set up an IV drip of honey for a really sick bear.  How sweet!  After a visit to the hospital, your bear is returned to you "good as new".

Everybody needs a bear hug every now and again.

We adopted a couple of bears, too.  One for Princess E.  Another for Mama.  And one more for a special someone who needs a special friend.

Cabot Creamery

No trip to Vermont is complete without a visit to Cabot.  In our hometown, many hours away, Cabot cheeses are stocked on the shelves at our local grocery stores.  Much of it is produced here, at the Cabot Creamery, in Cabot, Vermont.

Come along an join us on our tour of the Cabot Creamery as seen through the eyes of Princess E.

Hmmm...wonder if they will let us taste any of the cheese?




Hey Mom...when you make cheese at home, it doesn't look like this.  Can you make some of this at home?

You mean people actually get PAID to eat cheese?  I wanna do that when I grow up.

Happy cows make happy cheese.  Yes, they did set out samples of their wonderfully delicous cheeses.  Good thing we packed a cooler, too. 

One day, a cow walked into a coffee shop, sauntered up to the counter and ordered a cup of delicious coffee.  (Since it was a Vermont coffee shop, it was probably Green Mountain Coffee).  The waitress brought the cow the cup of coffee and asked "Would you like cream and sugar?".  The cow grimaced and replied "No, I take my coffee black."               (Let that sink in a moment if you don't get it at first.)

Why does a cow wear a bell?  Because the horns don't work!

What do you call a cow who has just given birth?  De-calf-inated.

Cold Hollow Cider Mill

Over in Waterbury, Vermont, we stopped in for a visit at the Cold Hollow Cider Mill.  There, we had the opportunity to learn about the process for pressing apples to make delicious apple cider.  After the learning tour, there was the tasting part.  They had a large barrel/vat of cold cider with a tap for pouring samples into our cups.  It was so delicious!  I liked that it was not sweetened.  Being one of those unusual folks who prefers unsweetened coffee and tea (and applesauce and yogurt), I much prefer unsweetened cider.  I really should have bought some; but the cooler was occupied by cheese. 

They also had a display on bees, with an actual section of hive protected from curious hands (and curious hands protected from bee stings). 


The cider donuts were yummy, too. 

This is an older press.  They use state of the art equipment today. 

Vermont Covered Bridges

Did you know that Vermont has about 100 covered bridges? I think that's even a rather conservative estimate. We made it a point to see as many of the bridges as we could during our trip.

We used this site to help us find them. Also, we were directed to others not listed here by local folks. These bridges are a connection between our past and our future, and are well worth preserving.

We did not photograph every bridge we visited.  Some are privately owned (and preserved) but are not accessible for up close viewing.  Others have been damaged by vandals.  In any case, here are a few photos of some of the ones we visited.